


Lost Time

by SapphiraLua



Series: Lost Time [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Canon Universe, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings™, First Kiss, Fluff, Happy Ending, Homesick Lance (Voltron), Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Keith plays guitar, Laith, Lance can sing, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Please I just want them to be happy, Romance, Slow Burn, Slowish Burn????, The Feelings are Consuming Me, Touch-Starved, Touch-Starved Keith (Voltron), Where is Our Musical Episode????, a little bit of swearing, keith can sing, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 02:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13649328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphiraLua/pseuds/SapphiraLua
Summary: "Lance felt his chest clench at the idea of Keith plucking out notes on the guitar to distract himself from the silence that surrounded him. His breath caught at the realization that Keith was probably doing exactly that tonight, and his eyes burned.He suddenly felt the fierce need to grab Keith by the shoulders and tell him that he would never have to be alone again."In which Lance wanders the castle when he can't sleep, and Keith had every reason to think he was alone.





	Lost Time

**Author's Note:**

> See end for notes!

The castle was eerie at night. Away from the wing that the Paladin's sleeping quarters were situated in, away from Hunk's rumbling snores and the white noise Pidge played to help block out said snoring, the silence was deafening. Lance was usually out cold as soon as his head hit the pillow, having expended all his energy during the day being boisterous and excitable and keeping everyone's spirits up. Though, he'd definitely had his share of nights spent staring at the ceiling, surrounded by cold metal, the air filled with the sounds of his companions in the rooms adjacent to his. 

On those nights, his mind drifted to home, and his thoughts were plagued by images of Earth. He was filled with thoughts of his neighborhood, his house, his family, his memories of beaches and food and laughter and hugs and warmth- until he was throwing an arm over his face at the thought of his mother not knowing whether he was alive or not, having to explain to his younger siblings that she didn't know when he would be home, but they just had to be patient, and I know, I miss him too, and then he was furiously scrubbing a forearm over the hot tears that were leaking out of the corners of his eyes.

It was on those nights that he found just how overwhelming the quiet of space could be. It was on those nights that he walked and explored until his eyes drooped and he was propping himself up against the walls on his way back to his room so he could finally sleep. The halls were dark at night, illuminated just barely by trails of lights along the floor, and he led himself along the walls with his fingertips. Learning about the castle comforted him, gave him something to focus on. 

He found that beyond the silence, the walls hummed just barely if you really strained your ears in the right sections of some hallways. He found rooms with sleek metal devices that looked like nothing he'd seen on Earth, and he amused himself by thinking up ridiculous purposes and ways to market them to humans. He fiddled with the training room controls until he knew how to precisely fine tune the programs to suit his exact needs. He dragged his hands along the walls until he found grooves that he knew just HAD to lead to a secret room, and spent an entire night trying to ascertain if there was a door there, or if he was just overtired. He decided that there WAS indeed a door there, but there had to be some sort of Altean magic involved in opening it, and resolved to ask Allura about it later. 

With every walk he delved deeper into hallways he'd never seen during daylight hours, intrigued by the thought of what else he might find. On one such night, Lance found himself within a lower level of the castle. Upon rounding a corner, fingertips sliding lightly across the cool metal plating of the wall, his ears caught a faint noise drifting across the hallways. He froze suddenly, straining to listen. It was barely there, but if he squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head... To the right? He could just hear it above the hum of the wall next to him. He took his steps lightly, and turned down the next hallway to his right, and the sound was louder now, but not quite loud enough to determine what it was. But now the sound was coming from... Lance closed his eyes again, head down, and listened. It was to his left now, and upon turning down the next hallway to his left, he froze again.

It was... music? But why would there be music coming from  _ anywhere _ in the ship at this time of night, let alone from somewhere so secluded and deep within the castle? The music was easier to follow now, and the closer he got to the source, the more he could pick out what he was hearing. Lance thought it sounded like a guitar, which perplexed him. This was an ancient Altean castle, there shouldn't be anything even resembling an Earth guitar here. For a moment, Lance considered that he might be so tired that he was finally hallucinating. He pressed on, though, fingers still dragging over the wall, steps delicate, as to not alert whoever was making the music. He considered the song he was hearing. The strumming was gentle, notes being plucked out in fluid sequence that lulled him into a quiet relaxation. He found himself frowning a bit at the melancholy in the tone of the song.

The next right he took found him staring into a hallway that opened up into what looked like a small observation deck. He inched closer, moving as silently as possible, holding his breath unconsciously. The room was round, the walls composed mostly of windows that looked out into the vastness of stars that surrounded the ship. This deck wasn't outfitted with any of the control panels or instruments to pilot the ship that their main deck possessed. Instead, it looked to be a room made to really just observe the outside. Comfortable looking couches lined the curvature of the room, piled with squishy looking pillows. Another semicircle shaped couch faced the window. And seated in the middle of that couch, facing away from Lance, head bowed over the guitar in his arms, was Keith.

Lance knit his eyebrows together in confusion, heart jumping in his chest. A million questions flew through his head. What was Keith doing here? Where did Keith get a guitar? Since when could Keith even  _ play _ the guitar? Why was he so  _ good _ at it? Lance opened his mouth, prepared to scare the everloving shit out of Keith by asking him if he could play Freebird; to poke fun at him for being so emo, sitting down here alone in the dark playing his guitar, when he snapped his mouth shut. 

Keith had started singing. It was a quiet, warbling sound, as if Keith wasn't used to using his voice like this, but it sounded pretty carrying a tune. It was so hushed, so intimate, that Lance found himself leaning into the sound of it, breath sighing out. There was a raspiness to Keith's voice when he hit stronger notes that sent a zing of appreciation down Lance's spine. He leaned against the wall, listening for a moment, and when Keith's voice caught on some words, sounding a little more choked, Lance suddenly didn't feel like making fun of him anymore. His chest felt tight with the way Keith's voice wrapped wistfully around the words he sang. He hadn't ever heard Keith long for anything. In fact, this was the most emotion he'd ever heard their hotheaded Red Paladin display. Right now, Keith was vulnerable, and soft, and it made Lance feel like he needed to protect him. 

He listened until Keith had plucked out the last notes of the song he had been playing, until there was a pause of silence as the guitar strings quieted. Lance tried to make his voice as non-threatening as possible as he spoke from the entrance to the observation deck, but still expected Keith to immediately be on his guard.

"I didn't know you could play the guitar," Lance murmured into the room, and in a flash, the instrument was already out of Keith's hands, knife drawn and glinting in the dim starlight filtering through the windows. Lance raised his hands up quickly, "Woah buddy, it's just me."

"What are you doing here?!" Lance could see Keith's face burning all the way from his place at the door. "How long have you been there?! How did you even  _ find _ me?! Why would you sneak up on me like that?!" Keith was barely taking a breath, knife waving wildly as he spoke, " _ How _ did you sneak up on me like that? I didn't think you were even capable of sneaking. You're always so loud and-" 

"Dude,  _ chill _ ," Lance cut him off, "I've only been here for a few minutes. I didn't want to interrupt you." Lance stepped into the room now, coming to plop down on the couch next to a very embarrassed Keith. His face still burned red, and he very pointedly refused to look at Lance, obviously mortified at being caught. 

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Keith grumbled, setting his knife down on the couch next to him and crossing his arms over his chest. Lance noted that, for once, Keith wasn't wearing his gloves. "Just make fun of me and get it over with. Go ahead and tell the others that I'm an emo dork who sits in the dark and plays the guitar by himself. You gonna tell them I sing like a strangled cat, too?" 

"Why would I do that?" his tone was indignant, but Lance felt hot shame slide into his chest. That had been his first instinct, after all. He didn't hate Keith, not really. He was... He guessed that jealous was the right word. Maybe envious. He wished that he'd had even half of Keith's raw talent as a pilot and a fighter. Deep down, he knew that he admired Keith, but with the confident front that he put on for others, he couldn't ever bring himself to admit that out loud. Hence, the Keith and Lance Rivalry™ was born. Though, after spending time with Keith, and learning that he really wasn't some untouchable, too-cool-for-you jerk, that admiration had settled heavy in his chest. Upon seeing that he was really some awkward dork who was bad at social interaction, Lance had started to find him kind of adorable. He'd tried to slam that door shut as soon as it opened, distancing himself from Keith, keeping him of the outside of his friendship with Pidge and Hunk. He had failed miserably, growing fonder and fonder of Keith even despite the limited time he spent with him. This escalated until he found himself really enjoying Keith's company, and made excuses to spend more time with him under the guise of making sure the Mullet™ didn't mess anything up.

"Why wouldn't you do that? Aren't you always up for finding some way to humiliate me?" Keith threw his hands up in front of him, "Well, here you go! Perfect opportunity. I play sad songs on my dumb guitar like some lonely loser. Ya got me," he spit bitterly, still refusing to look anywhere in Lance's direction.

"Keith, I-"

"Don't bother," Keith interrupted him, grabbing his guitar and knife, and moving to stand. "I don't wanna hear it. I'm going to bed." Lance grabbed his wrist, and Keith froze.

"Dude, I haven't even  _ said _ anything. Sit back down." Keith's wrist was tense beneath his hand. "... Please," he added. He let go of Keith's wrist. 

Keith sighed, "You're not gonna let this go, are you?" He set the guitar on the couch next to him, tucked his knife back into the holster at his hip, and dropped back down to sit on the couch next to Lance. 

"How long have you been playing for?" Lance asked.

"Since I was nine," Keith answered shortly.

"Who taught you?" Lance leaned back against the couch, still watching the side of Keith's face.

"I taught myself," Keith's words were still bitter. 

“Where’d you get the guitar? I never thought I’d see one of those again.”

"Space Mall. Why do you care?" Keith asked sharply, exasperated now.

"You..." Lance hesitated, cheeks heating up, "You sounded nice. I liked listening to it." 

Keith's head snapped around to  _ finally _ look at him, eyes wide. His mouth opened, and promptly closed, "I- I'm not- You- Don't fuck with me, dude. It's not funny." 

"I'm not! I swear!" Lance answered quickly.

Keith ducked his head to look at the couch between them, "You thought it was good?" His voice was small, and it tugged at Lance's chest. 

"Of course!" Lance told him enthusiastically, "It was really smooth, and I didn't know you could sing, too!" 

"I don't usually..." Keith fiddled with the fabric of the couch cushion, "I don't usually sing, and never in front of anybody." He was refusing to meet Lance's eye again.

Lance blinked, "Am I the first one to hear you sing?"

"Yes."

Lance felt a fondness bloom in his chest at that, "Well I thought you sounded nice." Keith was darting a look up at him, cheeks flaming red. "I'd... I'd like to hear it again." 

"Lance... I don't know if I-"

"I'll sing for you first." Keith's head lifted, eyebrows raised in surprise. Lance was amazed by his own forwardness. He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, awaiting Keith's response with bated breath.

"You sing?" Keith asked, finally.

"I- Well- I mean... I guess I used to?" Lance's voice turned up in a question, "I would sing on car rides, and in the shower, and when I helped my mom around the house," he found his lips quirking up fondly at the memories, a chuckle escaping him, "God, sometimes we'd get a really good song on the radio, and then everyone would dance around the living room singing into whatever we could pick up." He swallowed around the lump in his throat, and when he looked up again, his eyes felt a little too wet. He found Keith smiling softly at him.

"That sounds nice. I, uh..." Keith hesitated for a moment, smile dropping from his lips, "I was alone a lot... Gave me a lot of time to teach myself guitar," he shook his head. Lance felt his chest clench at the idea of Keith plucking out notes on the guitar to distract himself from the silence that surrounded him. His breath caught at the realization that Keith was probably doing exactly that tonight, and his eyes burned. He suddenly felt the fierce need to grab Keith by the shoulders and tell him that he would never have to be alone again. He cleared his throat before he said something stupid, like 'You've got me, forever.' or 'Please let me hug you.' He jerked his head. He didn't want to pity Keith. He knew Keith would only resent him for it.

Thankfully, Keith broke the silence that had fallen between them. "What did you want me to play for you?"

Lance snorted, "Know any Celine Dion?" and then Keith was laughing, head thrown back against the couch, an airy noise that made Lance's stomach burst into flutters. Keith laughed so rarely, and Lance was proud for being able to coax it out of him. He watched the way Keith pushed his hands through his hair as his giggles faded, and found that his fingers itched to repeat the motion. When Keith looked at him again, he was smiling widely. The tension in the air had lifted, and Lance was grateful for it. He could see Keith visibly relax, shoulders finally dropping their tautness. He turned toward Lance more fully now, an elbow coming to rest over the back of the couch. He propped his cheek against his hand. 

"Sorry, dude, I wasn't a big Celine fan," he shook his head, smile not leaving his face, "I was more of an angsty punk rock kind of teenager. Don't you dare tell Pidge she's right," he threatened.

"Bummer, man," Lance chuckled, "I was really looking forward to belting out some My Heart Will Go On for you."

Keith snorted, rolling his eyes, "God, I don't know how we'll live without that." He hummed thoughtfully, then, "What kind of music could we have in common?" They both paused for a moment, and this gave Lance the opportunity to sneak a look at the paladin sitting next to him. Keith's hair had gotten longer since they'd been on the ship. He'd have to seriously ask him if he wanted a haircut. Lance knew the hair was bound to bother him during training and missions. As it was now, though, Lance wanted to run his hands through it, to brush it from where it fell into Keith's face. He watched Keith's fingers tap against his thigh, and realized that this was the first time he'd actually seen Keith's hands without the fingerless gloves he always wore. He wondered if Keith slept with them on. He had to hold back a snort of laughter at the thought. Keith's hands were smaller than Lance's, but his fingers were long and elegant. He wondered if the gloves stopped them from becoming calloused. He let his mind wander for a moment, gave into it, imagining the way Keith's fingers would feel against his own. 

"I might-" Keith's voice interrupted Lance's thoughts, "I might know a song that you'd know." He sounded hesitant despite his offering.

"Yeah?" Lance smiled, excited, "What is it?"

"Do you know any..." Keith's voice trailed off in a murmur.

"Uhh... What was that, buddy?"

"I asked if you knew any Alicia Keys," Keith's cheeks burned, and Lance was positive, now, that he'd never seen anything cuter than a shy Keith. 

"Of course I do! What do you take me for?" Lance replied enthusiastically.

"Exactly the kind of person that listens to Alicia Keys for fun," Keith said in response.

"Hey man, you're the one that knows how to play the Alicia Keys song," Lance countered.

"Shut up!" Keith exclaimed, shoving at Lance's shoulder, "It used to be on the radio all the time, and I just picked it up."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, pretty boy," Lance chuckled, grateful for the opportunity for some comfortable banter. He knew how to deal with banter, "Just play it."

Keith blinked at the nickname, but moved to pick up his guitar, situating it on his lap. He started to strum out the notes. 

Lance listened to a moment, before laughing. "Aw man! I haven't heard No One in YEARS!" He picked up the words at the chorus with a smile, feet tapping at the ground with the beat. How long had it been since he'd heard Earth music? He wiggled his shoulders, throwing in a touch of the dramatics that he used to put on with his family. He sang, until Keith's strumming came to a stop with the end of the song. When Lance finally looked over at Keith, his mouth snapped shut. Keith was staring at him, wide eyed, like Lance had put the stars in the sky.

"That was..." Keith's voice was hoarse when he spoke. He cleared his throat, "I thought you said you didn't sing?"

"I-" Lance felt himself turn red, "I don't?"

"That was really good, Lance," Keith admitted.

Lance wasn't sure he could flush any harder, "Thanks, man," he managed, looking everywhere but at Keith's face. He couldn't think of anything to say. Where was his bravado? Shouldn't he be smirking, and tossing out an "Of  _ course _ it was good."? But Keith had complimented him,  _ honestly  _ complimented him, and he didn't know what to do with that. It made his chest flutter pleasantly. He'd spent so much time trying to impress Keith, and the way Keith looked at him, was  _ still _ looking at him? What had he done to deserve that? It really wasn't anything special, just a goofy song that he missed hearing. A beat passed, "It's your turn now," Lance piped up suddenly, to get the focus off himself. Keith went pale, looking like he'd like nothing more than to have the floor open up to swallow him. Lance patted his shoulder, "Don't worry, man. I've heard you already, remember?"

"Yeah, but I didn't know you were there that time," Keith murmured, "It's a lot harder when someone's watching."

"Well..." Lance smirked, "I did it. Ya telling me I can do it and you can't?"

"Hey!" Keith frowned, "Don't start that. You're not being a jerk for once."

Lance threw a hand over his heart in mock offense, gasping, "Me?! You wound me, Paladin! Swords away!" Keith laughed at that, and Lance softened at the sound, scooting a little closer to Keith, "C'mon man. It's just me." 

"Yeah," Keith muttered, "That's the problem."

Lance blinked, honestly a little offended. He'd thought they were making progress, and the way that Keith had looked at him after he'd finished singing had warmed him from the inside out, "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked weakly.

"I don't wanna look stupid in front of you, okay?" Keith said suddenly, shrinking into himself, fingers clenched so tightly around the neck of his guitar that they had turned white.

"Keith, I don't-" 

"Forget about it," Keith shook his head, hair falling to hide his face from Lance's eyes, "It doesn't really matter."

Lance panicked a bit. Keith was shutting down. He'd thought they were getting closer. Keith had been opening up to him, and he didn't really want to lose... whatever this was that was happening between them. He reached out to brush his fingers against Keith's arm, and Keith was like stone under his hand. "It obviously does matter. You don't- You can't possibly think- You have to know- You know I've always been jealous of you, right?"

Then Keith was whipping around to look at him, brows furrowed in confusion, "What?" he asked. "You coulda fooled me..." He scoffed then, "Especially with all the shots you take at me. I thought you just thought I sucked."

Lance grimaced, scratching at the back of his neck, "Yeah, uh. I'm not really good at dealing with jealousy?"

"Noooooo?" Keith gave a rueful grin, "You? Never?"

"Shut up, man," Lance punched Keith's arm lightly, "I mean, at the Garrison you were good at everything that I wanted to be good at. You were cute, and all the girls I liked were into you, and now you're good at the guitar  _ and _ singing?" Lance shrugged, "How was I supposed to not be jealous?" 

"You thought I was cute, huh?" 

Lance flushed, eyes widening, "That- I didn't- Well-" Payback was, indeed, a bitch.

Keith was looking at him now, and Lance swore that there was a flicker of something in his eyes that looked a bit hopeful, but then it was gone, replaced by quiet nervousness as he searched Lance's face. He realized then that he'd really invaded Keith's personal space. His fingers still rested on Keith's arm, other arm thrown across the back of the couch behind him. Lance knew he had the tendency to crowd people, but Keith had  _ let _ him. Keith didn't let  _ anybody _ that wasn't Shiro into his space. This was significant. Lance's heart thudded against his ribs. How was he supposed to  _ not _ fuck this up? This fragile, breakable... thing? He sucked in a breath, and decided to try honesty. He'd been lying for so long; to himself, to Keith, to everyone, though recently, Pidge and Hunk had begun to call him out on it.

"Yeah, I did," Lance admitted. He heard Keith's breath whoosh out heavily, "I even liked your mullet," he smiled, moving the hand that was flung across the back of the couch to tug gently at the back of said mullet. Keith's eyes closed for a second, leaning into the contact. 

"Coulda fooled me on that, too." 

Lance hummed, fingers stroking through the back of Keith's hair. He fought to keep them from shaking, "It's actually pretty soft..." he murmured. "This okay?" 

Keith's voice was barely more than a whisper, "Yeah. It is." The red in his cheeks rose to the tips of his ears, but he looked more relaxed that Lance could ever recall seeing him. It dawned on him suddenly that it was very likely that nobody had ever done something like this for Keith. His affection for the paladin next to him nearly broke him. There was no use in denying how terribly he wanted Keith to let him in. It made his stomach burn, tingling down his spine and through his fingers where they scratched at Keith's scalp. It was nearly impossible for Lance to keep from curling his arms around Keith's shoulders to cradle him close. He wondered when the last time somebody had hugged Keith just for the sake of it was. He suddenly regretted the callous remarks he threw at his teammate on a daily basis. How could he have been so selfish? He'd closed off, cheating himself  _ and _ Keith out of the opportunity to grow close, and now he was at a loss for how to fix it. How could he reverse something like that? He'd kept this boy, who'd spent so much time alone that he melted at the slightest bit of contact, at arms length from everyone. Lance abruptly felt too hot, ashamed of himself for taking his closeness with the team for granted, ashamed of keeping that closeness from the one person on the team that needed it most. He swallowed thickly, curling his fingers around the back of Keith's neck, who opened his eyes, blinking at Lance questioningly. 

"Keith," Lance was ashamed of the way his voice shook, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the things I said, and the things I did." He blinked harshly, eyes burning, "You didn't deserve that. You didn't deserve me taking all of my insecurity out on you."

"Lance, it's-"

"No," Lance cut him off, shaking his head. "It's not okay. I think you're really great, and instead of telling you that, I tried to make sure that no one else thought that, because I was jealous. Don't tell me that's okay." His fingers tightened on Keith's arm, "I'm sorry."

Keith sighed, taking the guitar from his lap and setting it on the couch next to him. He looked back at Lance, and nodded at him solemnly, "Okay, Lance," he said gently. He didn't argue the point, and Lance was endlessly thankful for the way that Keith knew how to read him, "I forgive you." 

Lance turned his head to look at Keith then, and saw trust, and not a hint of anger. Keith looked so relieved, and so  _ tired _ , and it was nearly too much. Lance couldn't stop himself now, and he wrapped his arm fully around Keith's shoulders, his other hand coming to rest on Keith's side. Keith tensed first, a surprised breath blowing harshly against Lance's ear, but then he was melting into the hug, his fingers curling into the back of Lance's shirt. 

"I forgive you, Lance." he murmured again, dropping his chin down on Lance's shoulder. Lance could only hold him tighter for it.

"I'm supposed to be comforting YOU, ya know." Lance huffed, hand stroking down Keith's back. Keith shivered under his fingers.

"You're still doing a good job." Keith chuckled against his neck, sending goosebumps down Lance's arms. With great reluctance, Lance pulled himself back from Keith, murmuring an apology.

"Sorry for..." Lance gestured between them, "Yaknow."

"No!" Keith said, a little too quickly, "I mean- It was... Nice?" He dragged a hand down his face, "Man, I am screwing this up," he sighed, "Hugs are- I just- I like hugs? I just don't really get them that often? Or ever?" he buried his face in his palm, "Okay, singing would have been way less embarrassing than this. Can we go back to that?" Keith's voice was muffled against his hand.

Lance couldn't help but chuckle quietly at how flustered Keith was, and elbowed at his side. "It's cool, man," he reassured him, "Hugs ARE nice. Yaknow, Hunk gives the  _ best _ hugs. It's like the guy was made for it. You should ask him for one some time. But did I hear that right? You wanna sing for me now, hotshot?" he asked, still smiling lightly. 

Keith groaned, slumping farther forward, head nearly between his knees. He slowly dragged his hand away from his face to grab his guitar by the neck, and sat up to pull the instrument back into his lap. "What do you wanna hear?" he asked, defeated.

"Know any Slayer?" Lance asked.

"Yes." Keith answered flatly, still sulking.

And then Lance was laughing, back knocking against the couch, hands pressed against his stomach. "God, you would." 

Keith groaned again, "C'mon man, just pick something so I can get it over with."

"You pick," Lance told him, coming down from his giggles, "I don't know what songs you know, anyway."

Keith tsked, situating his fingers on the neck of the guitar. He thought for a moment, before strumming out something much softer than Lance expected. A few seconds passed with just the soft notes filling the air before Keith's voice joined them. His voice shook on the first few words, but grew steadier soon after. Keith sounded even better up close. Lance watched him intently, feeling a little breathless. He couldn't take his eyes off the way that Keith's fingers slid over the neck of the guitar, until he flickered them to Keith's face, where they then got stuck on the way that Keith's lips curled around the words he sang. Then he was imagining Keith's fingers winding into his hair, that voice low against his ear, and Lance wanted it so much his fingers were digging into his thighs to stop from reaching out. He finally admitted the extent of his feelings to himself. It felt like being sucker-punched in the stomach, like there wasn't enough air in the room. He had it bad for Keith. How was he supposed to go back to the way they were after this? His heart clenched painfully at the thought of pretending that this had never happened, at the idea of never hearing Keith sing again, at never sliding his fingers through Keith's hair and watching him lean into it. There was so much he needed Keith to know, so much he wanted to show him. They had so much catching up to do.

Lance had to tell him. The realization froze him, heart pounding so hard he could feel it in his toes. How was he supposed to tell Keith that he'd developed  _ feelings _ for him? Keith, who, up until today, thought Lance hated him. Keith, whose talent amazed him, and whose laugh gave him ridiculous butterflies. Keith, who needed more hugs and affection than anyone else Lance had ever known. Keith, who had just finished his song, and was staring expectantly at Lance with a pink blush dusted across his cheeks, looking like the most beautiful thing Lance had ever seen. Lance's breath got stuck for a second, before coming out in a whoosh.

"Can I kiss you?" 

Lance realized belatedly that the words had escaped his own mouth, and his legs went numb. Keith was sputtering, choking on his next breath, and Lance felt like his soul was going to exit his body.

The question hung in the air for a moment, and Lance was terrified. He'd steeled himself for rejection from the girls he flirted with, he'd gotten used to it at this point, but he'd never  _ wanted _ any of them like this. He wasn't sure he could  _ take _ rejection from Keith. Just as Lance was about to open his mouth to take it back, to apologize and flee from the room to find a vent to hide in until he could face anyone again-

"Yes."

Lance blinked, and croaked out a "What?" just to make sure he'd heard it correctly.

"Kiss me." 

Lance forgot how to breathe. His hands were nearly vibrating with how hard they shook. But he lifted one up to splay his fingers on Keith's neck, and God his skin felt like fire. He could feel Keith's pulse hammering underneath his fingertips, watched his eyes flutter closed, and then he was leaning in until his nose bumped with Keith's. He pressed in further, and Keith was meeting him halfway, and then he was pressing his lips gently, achingly gently to Keith's, shivering at the way that Keith pressed back against him. 

Then Keith was pulling back, just enough to look Lance in the eye, and Lance nearly didn't let him go. For a moment there was nothing but soft puffs of breath against his mouth. Keith, not taking his eyes off him, slid the guitar from his lap, abandoning it on the floor. Then he was pressing closer, his chest against Lance's side, hooking an arm around his neck, fingers curling into his hair, and Lance was lost. He acquainted himself with the feeling of Keith shifting underneath his hands, looping an arm around his waist to pull him impossibly closer. 

Keith was kissing him. Kissing  _ him _ . Sliding his mouth over Lance's so fervently that he couldn't breathe with the pace of it. Lance's stomach fluttered so violently he found himself tilting his head away to try to catch his breath, but then Keith let out a  _ whimper _ at the loss, and breathing be damned, Lance couldn't  _ not _ kiss him. He gathered Keith's cheeks into his palms, stroking his thumbs over his skin, and Keith went absolutely boneless against him, sliding his hand down Lance's chest. Keith's quiet sigh against his mouth immediately became the best thing he'd ever heard, and he was positively dizzy with it. He did pull back, then, just to make sure that it was really Keith in front of him, that this was really happening and not just something that he invented in his head to deal with his feelings. Keith followed him, leaning forward to chase his mouth, and Lance swore his heart fully stopped functioning. Keith's hands were trembling where they rested against Lance's thigh. He looked intoxicated, cheeks rosy, lips parted with his shaky breaths. This wasn't happening. There was no way that he could possibly have this effect on anybody. 

Keith opened his eyes, and the way he was looking at Lance was so reverent, so  _ soft _ , so unlike anything Lance had ever seen before. No one had ever looked at him like that, and with all the rejection he'd faced, he was starting to think that no one ever would. But somehow, impossibly, Keith of all people was looking at him like that. This beautiful, talented, amazing person. It left him breathless, absolutely speechless, powerless to do anything other than stare into that open adoration and thank everything in the universe that he'd somehow, despite the thousands of ways he'd fucked up, ended up here. 

Keith's hands slid up to his face, thumbs swiping over his cheekbones, "Lance, what is this?" he asked quietly. Without giving Lance a chance to answer, he continued, "I mean, I probably should have asked this first, but you asked to kiss me and I don't really know how to deal with these things very well, but Shiro keeps telling me that I should just  _ talk _ about my feelings instead of bottling them up, so I'm just gonna say it," He rambled, not even taking a breath, "I like you, Lance." he blurted out, "I have for a while. I'd kinda given up on trying to deal with it because of, well, everything, but then you started being  _ nice _ to me and I just... Fuck, I'm fucking this up, aren't I?" He sighed, casting his eyes downward, "I don't... I don't want this to be a one time thing, I guess? I don't know what this was for you, but the way you looked at me... I thought... Maybe...?" He finally trailed off.

"You  _ like _ me?" Lance breathed, awestruck.

"That's... That's all you got out of that?" Keith questioned, leaning back a little farther, hands dropping from Lance's face. "Were you even listening?" 

Lance felt a wide smile spread across his face, "Yes! Yeah! You  _ like _ me." A laugh burst from his chest, and he tugged Keith close, giggles spilling out of his mouth. There wasn't anything else in the world anymore. This was surreal. He felt heady and weightless, his whole body buzzing at Keith's words. This couldn't possibly be real. "What? Pinch me! There's no way!"

"Lance you're being weird, even for you." Keith huffed, "And you haven't... You haven't even answered me." He murmured nervously.

Lance pulled back, looking at Keith seriously, "Of  _ course _ I like you. Did you miss the part earlier where I told you I thought you were great? "

"No I- I thought you meant that- As... friends? I didn't think..." Keith answered. 

"Then did you miss the part where I asked to  _ kiss _ you?"

"Wha- Lance- How was I supposed to-" But Lance was pulling him into another tight hug, positively  _ giddy _ , laughing against his shoulder. This was more than he'd ever imagined. He couldn't think past how ridiculously  _ happy  _ he was.

"Hunk and Pidge told me I was being so  _ obvious _ . I thought you  _ had _ to know. I was  _ terrified _ ." 

"Well this is definitely news to me... Lance, you're crushing me, Jesus." But Keith was giggling now, too, arms coming to wrap around Lance's shoulders.

Lance drew back suddenly, "Does this mean I get to give you  _ nicknames _ ?" He asked, excited at the prospect of making Keith groan at every opportunity. He was going to load on the sap. He was going to be so cute it would make anyone within a ten mile radius vomit immediately. He needed to make everything up to Keith, and he was going to start by making him laugh and cringe harder than he ever thought possible.

"You already give me nicknames, what?"

"No but like,  _ cute _ ones." Lance batted his eyelashes.

"No." Keith shook his head, "Absolutely not. You're already embarrassing."

Lance wiggled his eyebrows, "Awwwww, don't be like that, honeymuffin."

"No."

"Sugarbear?"

"Nope."

"Adorable snugglewumpus?"

"Definitely not."

"Fiery Pala-butt?"

"W- What?" Keith sputtered, laughing.

"How about I just call you tonight?" Lance winked exaggeratedly. 

"Lance are you on  _ drugs _ ?"

"The only drug I'm on is you," Lance winked exaggeratedly, and Keith collapsed into his chest, punching him weakly through his giggles. 

"Fine," Lance smiled slyly, pulse quickening, "Can we just settle for my boyfriend, then?"

Keith blinked, momentarily stunned. Then he smiled back, and it was warm, and honestly happy, something that was only for Lance. "Yeah, I think I can live with that one." 

"God, you're a cliché," Lance chuckled, nuzzling his nose into Keith's cheek.

"Me?!" Keith cried indignantly, "Do you  _ hear  _ yourself?"

"I'm too busy getting lost in your beautiful eyes." 

Keith's mouth dropped open, a surprised breath whooshing out. Then he was blushing, tilting his head down and shaking it. He smiled softly, "Gosh Lance, I think I'm gonna hurl," he murmured.

Lance made a mental note to compliment Keith as much as humanly possible. He leaned in, pressing a kiss just in front of Keith's ear, earning him a small hum of appreciation as Keith leaned into him. 

"You wanna stay here for a while?" Lance asked softly, peppering more kisses against Keith's cheek, fingers coming up to stroke through the back of his hair, "Maybe play me a few more songs?"

"I'll do whatever you want me to," Keith's voice was breathless in his ear, and Lance leaned back, arching an eyebrow at him. 

"Yeah?"

"Ahh," Keith ducked his head, "That's uh- I don't mean- You were just-" 

Flustered Keith was the best Keith, Lance decided. All that just because of a few kisses on the cheek. He looked forward to finding out exactly what he could do to make Keith melt against him, and what kinds of things would make him smile. 

Lance kissed him, then, because Keith was so soft when he cuddled him close, and because he  _ could _ , now. 

And because maybe if he asked just sweetly enough, he could get Keith to sing  _ with _ him.

**Author's Note:**

> The songs that they sing are taken from videos of Steven Yeun singing on youtube.
> 
> The song that Lance walks in on Keith singing is I Have and Always Will by Dave Barnes
> 
> Lance sings No One by Alicia Keys because Steven Yeun covered that so of course Keith knows how to play it right right right???
> 
> The song that Keith sings in return is Shelter by Ray Lamontagne.
> 
> I recommend listening to those songs if you haven't already, because Steven Yeun has a sweet voice, and it also really sets the tone for the scenes.
> 
> This show is ruining my life. :)  
> Comments are appreciated!  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
